Chapter News

Download the 2010 Chapter Leader Welcome Kit.

Congratulations Chapter of the Month, March 2010: Greater Atlanta!

Read the latest Leader Connection Newsletter online!

Don't miss an important deadline, view the 2010 Key Dates Calendar.

View the online calendar and check out upcoming Chapter Events!

Interested in becoming a member of the NAC? Applications are now available, click here. The deadline to submit is June 2, 2010. For information about all chapter-related national committee volunteer opportunities, click here.

Content Downloads! Wrapped up and ready to go, ASTD Content To Go presents members with a quick, one-stop place to access content on the industry's hottest topics. March topics include: Training for Multiple Cultures, Lessons Learned From Conducting 3D Virtual World Learning Experiences, and High-impact Middle Management. Click here to download March Content.

Chapter Members in Transition? The Public Workforce System Can Help
If members of your chapter recently experienced a job change or are in transition, they have probably used many of the resources and tools that are available in your local community and online. Some of the most important resources you can tap into are your local Workforce Investment Board (WIB) and One-Stop Career Center. Contact information for these local resources, plus plenty of career development information, education and training, and access to state services is available at www.servicelocator.org. This site—called CareerOneStop—is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.

Important updates

• How can you get involved at the 2010 ASTD International Conference and Exposition? Volunteer! The International Conference & Exposition will be held in Chicago, Illinois May 16 -19, 2010. Volunteering at the conference offers you a cost effective way to participate in the conference at a steeply discounted rate, make an investment in your own professional development, and a contribution to your peers, your community, and your profession. For more information, go to www.astd.org/volunteers.

• The ASTD Professional Partner Program is a new initiative designed to increase training professionals’ awareness of the many tools and resources available to them that help to advance the profession, and encourage employee learning and development in organizations. The ASTD Professional Partner Program connects the ASTD community with companies that are dedicated to helping organizations improve their performance. ASTD Professional Partners have made a commitment to provide service and content to ASTD members and learning professionals. ASTD Professional Partners will be featured in T+D magazine, online at ASTD.org, and at various ASTD events throughout the year.

• Joint membership 2010 Chapter Operating Requirement announcement. Click here.

• IMPORTANT! - Guidance to Chapters for Charitable Donations
  Some chapters have expressed interest in contributing to the Haitian relief efforts through charitable donations or matching members’ donations. ASTD and its legal counsel recommend that chapters only contribute to organizations recognized as 501 (c)(3) organizations. Contributing to other types of organizations would require significant oversight and effort for your chapter, and we do not recommend doing so.
  
  When accepting donations, the chapter should give each donor a receipt providing the date and the amount of the donation. In the case of matching funds, the donation amount reported in the receipt should only include the amount donated by the individual member, and should not include any amount matched by the chapter. Finally, it is unnecessary to include the name of the charity or organization to which the funds will be donated.  Please note: Before beginning the process to solicit charitable donations, we recommend that you check with your state on its charitable solicitation registration and filing requirements.

• 2010 International Conference and Exposition Chapter Team Registration Available! Your chapter members can qualify for the special chapter team discounted rate for the International Conference & Exposition in Chicago, May 16-19, if you have at least five chapter members attending, click here for the chapter team brochure. The special chapter team rate is $900 for national ASTD members and $1,200 for nonmembers. Click here for more information!
  
  
• Changes to IRS filing requirements for the updated Form 990
  All chapters must file either a 990-N or a 990-EZ/Form 990 with the IRS for the 2008 calendar year. Chapters that have revenue less than $25,000 should file the 990-N form. Click here to access the form. For 2008, the IRS increased the limits for filing the 990-EZ from $100,000 to $1 million. Chapters that have revenue between $25,000 and $1 million should file the 990-EZ form. The 2008 990-EZ has minor changes, mostly to the formatting of the return. For information about the changes, click here.
  
  
• Earn ChIP revenue for your chapter with the ASTD Job Bank. Click here for more information.
  
  
• Special membership discounts available for chapter leaders and chapter members. Click here for more information. Chapter leaders, click here for the special application for the $119 discounted national membership rate for chapter leaders.
  
  
• Resource designed for VP Communications/Technology! Download the quick links list for ASTD chapter webpages for a list of key national ASTD links you can reference on your chapter website.
  
  
• Upcoming Chapter Conference? Click here to make a request to have an ASTD Bookstore at your event (request must be made no less than 21 days in advance)

Chapter webcast/conference call schedule

Click on the topic name for more information and to register. Chose from the Professional Development Track (audience: chapter members and leaders) or the Chapter Leader Track (audience: chapter leaders).

Looking for more? Click here to listen to a previously recorded webcast.

Social Media

Click on the group name for directions on how to join either the Yahoo, LinkedIn or Facebook ASTD chapter leaders groups! Follow Gina Urgena, director of chapter services on Twitter for chapter services updates! Access the ASTD Chapter Leader Blog to find out about ASTD resources and news from the National Advisors for Chapters and chapter services staff.

ASTD Island

Chapters and ASTD members can now conduct meetings in the virtual world on ASTD Island in Second Life. Click on the links to learn more about ASTD Island, Chapter guidelines or General guidelines.


Are you currently using Twitter? If so, then please join a chapter leader Twitter chat, Using Social Media in Chapters, on Wednesday, March 17, from 9-10 p.m. ET. This chat will be hosted by Cindy Huggett @cindyhugg, Chair, National Advisors for Chapters, and Erick Taft @Erick1970, Past President, Northwest Arkansas Chapter. The hashtag will be #astdchapters. If you’ve never participated in a Twitter chat before, check out the guidelines for another learning-related chat (#lrnchat) http://lrnchat.wordpress.com/. We’ll follow the same basic guidelines

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Looking for speakers?
Click here to visit the Chapter Speaker Resources page to request a national ASTD speaker, search the online ASTD Speakers Bureau database, or view speakers from previous ASTD Conferences.

Are you a new chapter leader?
Look up your position on the list and find what resources are available to your specific chapter leadership role. Resources by leadership position. Make sure you take advantage of the $119 discounted national membership rate for chapter leaders!  Don't forget to order your discounted business cards through ASTD partner, OfficeMax. Make plans to attend the annual ASTD Chapter Leaders Conference (ALC). Click here for a planning timeline.

What are your chapter's goals?
View the resources available to your chapter to see if you're on track for this quarter. Resources by quarter

Share Best Practices!
Wouldn't it be great if chapter leaders had a place to upload documents, share best practices, and connect through an online directory? Check out the Chapter Collaboration Portal.

To login you must have a single sign-on profile established and be recorded as a chapter leader with national ASTD. If you do not yet have an astd.org profile, go to www.astd.org to register (Job Aid). Questions? contact your chapter coach.

How you do measure up as a chapter leader? Chapter Leader Competency Model

Download the Chapter Survival Guide with tips to survive and thrive in the economic downturn.